TRYING

TRYING, (à la cape, Fr.) the situation in which a ship lies nearly in the trough or hollow of the sea in a tempest, particularly when it blows contrary to her course.

In trying, as well as in scudding, the sails are always reduced in proportion to the increase of the storm. Thus, in the former state, a ship may lie by the wind under a whole main-sail, a whole fore-sail, or a whole mizen; or under any of those sails, when diminished by the reef or balance. As the least possible quantity of sail used in scudding are the goose-wings of the fore-sail; so in trying, the smallest portion is generally the mizen-stay-sail or main-stay-sail: and in either state, if the storm is excessive, she may lie with all the sails furled, or, according to the sea-phrase, under bare poles. The intent of spreading a sail at this time is to keep the ship more steady, and, by pressing her side down in the water, to prevent her from rolling violently; and also to turn her bow towards the direction of the wind, so that the shock of the waves may fall more obliquely on her flank, than when she lies along the trough of the sea. While she remains in this situation, the helm is fastened close to the lee-side, or, in the sea-language, hard a-lee, to prevent her as much as possible from falling-off. But as the ship is not then kept in equilibrium by the effort of her sails, which at other times counterbalance each other at the head and stern, she is moved by a slow but continual vibration, which turns her head alternately to windward and to leeward, forming an angle of three or four points in the interval. That part where she stops, in approaching the direction of the wind, is called her coming-to, and the contrary excels of the angle to leeward is termed her falling-off.

Thus, suppose the wind northerly, and a ship trying with her starboard side to wind ward: if, in turning her head towards the source of the wind, she arrives at N. W. 1/2 N, or N. 39º W. and then declines to the leeward as far W. 1/2 S. or S. 84° W. the former will be called her coming-to, and the latter her falling-off. In this position she advances very little according to the line of her length, but is driven considerably to leeward, as described in the articles DRIFT and LEE-WAY.